The rupee appreciated by 12 paise to 83.17 against the US dollar on Friday, tracking a bullish trend in domestic equities, wherein benchmark indices scaled new peaks. Forex traders attributed the rally to Rs 2.11 lakh crore record dividend by the RBI to the government for the fiscal ended March 31. It was more than double the budgeted expectation, helping shore up revenue ahead of a new government taking office. At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 83.26 and gained further ground to trade at 83.17 against the greenback, registering a gain of 12 paise from its previous closing level. The forex market was closed on Thursday on account of 'Buddha Purnima'. On Wednesday, the rupee appreciated by 2 paise to settle at 83.29 against the US dollar. After a trading holiday on Thursday, the Indian rupee was on a strong footing following a big transfer of Rs 2.11 lakh crore in the form of dividend from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to the Union government, whi